Overview

Since 1964, the department of Religious Studies at McMaster University has offered graduate programs dealing with religion and human religious experience, past and present, East and West.

The department has no confessional ties; it seeks, rather, to cultivate a positive appreciation of the world’s religious traditions in a spirit of free, open enquiry, critical reflection, and solidly-grounded judgment.

The department draws on a wide variety of methodological resources, especially philosophical, philloogical, literary, historical, and social scientific, in the effort to understand religion and religious phenomena.

Areas of Research

Asian Field (Buddhism, East Asian)

Biblical (Early Judaism, Early Christianity)

Western (Religion and Politics, Religion and the Social Sciences)

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Studies in Religion

Intermediate Sanskrit

Topics in Religious Studies

Issues in the Study of Religion

Special Readings in Asian Religions

Topics in Sanskrit Texts

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 24 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2027-09-02 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-12-15 00:00:00

Language

English

TOEFL^® IBT

92

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IELTS

6.5

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Credits

60 alternative credits

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Hamilton, Canada

Disciplines

Theology and Religious Studies View 28 other Masters in Theology and Religious Studies in Canada

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Academic requirements

GPA

B+

English requirements

TOEFL^® IBT

92

Schedule TOEFL®

IELTS

6.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

Honours Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent

B+ (B- for Engineering) minimum average, based on a full year equivalent of final year courses (3rd/4th level) relevant to the program

Each program may set additional/higher requirements. Please review the program website for details.

Degrees and grades from foreign universities are evaluated for their equivalency to McMaster’s. Please contact the program for specific details.

Departments or programs may establish additional requirements, such as scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

Admission is competitive: meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission

The admission decision is not subject to appeal

Applicants who do not meet the above mentioned requirements, should consult the Graduate Calendar to determine the requirements for exceptional cases

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Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

27498 CAD / year

≈ 27498 CAD / year
Domestic Applies to you

Applies to you

Citizens or residents

5632 CAD / year

≈ 5632 CAD / year

Additional Details

Living costs

Hamilton

Canada

1163 - 1630 CAD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find Master's scholarship opportunities for Religious Studies.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

On this page

About

Overview

Areas of Research

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Student Insurance via Studyportals Partner

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic Applies to you

Additional Details

Living costs

Hamilton

Funding

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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